Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA-22-160 near West Union, OH — 2021-11-15

Final reportCEN22LA038
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Date
2021-11-15
Location
West Union, OH, USA
Airport
AMT
Aircraft
PIPER PA-22-160
Registration
N3463Z
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Descent

Probable cause

A malfunction of the flight controls for reasons that could not be determined based on available information.

NTSB narrative

The student pilot reported that he was conducting a solo cross-country flight when the airplane began to roll left unless he continuously held right aileron input. The pilot elected to divert, and during the landing flare, the airplane continued the left roll and touched down hard past the 1,000-ft runway markers. The airplane bounced and touched down a second time before departing the left side of the runway, where it impacted a ditch and nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and engine mount. A postaccident examination did not reveal any flight control anomalies that would have caused the left rolling tendency, and the reason for the malfunction could not be determined based on the available information.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Mechanical failure
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted the landing attempt earlier due to control issues.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 4 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents4

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